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“I voted today for the tenth time since the 116th Congress began to end this shutdown,” said Congressman Courtney. “The ten bills that the House has passed aren’t just symbolic proposals to reopen the government – they’re bills that are in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s inbox. He can take them up whenever he decides to do so and allow for the Senate to take a vote to end this shutdown. There is nothing in the Constitution that requires the President of the United States to pre-approve bills before they’re voted on, in either chamber, and there is nothing that should be preventing Senator McConnell from simply allowing a vote.

“I am honored to be named chairman of what I consider to be one of the most bipartisan and effective panels in Congress,” Congressman Courtney said. “This subcommittee oversees some of the most critical capabilities on, below, and above the seas at a time when our nation needs them most. Ensuring that our Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and maritime sector has the support they need has been a bipartisan priority for this panel since I joined in 2007 – and will continue to be as we start our work in the 116th Congress. I am particularly excited by the influx of new members with a breadth of experience joining our panel, and look forward to their insight and involvement in our work ahead.”

“This week I took three more votes to end the partial government shutdown,” said Congressman Courtney. “We’ve voted in the House nine times to get the government re-opened immediately, and yet the Senate have not acted once to end the shutdown. There’s no excuse for the Senate to use procedural maneuvers to avoid their responsibility to restore critical public services for the nation, including the men and women of the Coast Guard who protect our national security, overseas and at home.”

“Forty-three years after the end of the Vietnam War, our government is still failing to properly care for servicemembers who were exposed to the toxic chemical known as Agent Orange,” said Congressman Courtney. “The Agent Orange Exposure Fairness Act is a long overdue reform to the way the Veterans Administration recognizes the claims of Agent Orange victims. This bill would not be possible without the tireless efforts of one of my constituents, Mr. Gerry Wright, who has singlehandedly crisscrossed the country to raise the alarm about untreated Agent Orange cases. It’s a commonsense bill which will remove one of the most frustrating and onerous barriers that has denied veterans critical assistance for decades. It’s time to correct an injustice, it’s time to pass this bill.”

“Today’s announcement from Mr. Geiger and Electric Boat is good news for eastern Connecticut and for the state,” said Congressman Courtney. “This year’s projection of nearly 900 new hires represents a continued strong, upward trajectory for both the local and regional economies and builds on over 1,000 new hires in Connecticut over the past year.

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) voted to ensure that federal workers who have been furloughed or who have worked without pay during the current partial government shutdown are compensated fairly and expeditiously.

“I’ve heard loud and clear from people across eastern Connecticut,” said Congressman Courtney, “from patient advocacy groups, to healthcare professionals, to individuals who rely on the Affordable Care Act for coverage – and they do not want to turn the clock back on access to healthcare for folks with pre-existing conditions. Families from every corner of the District oppose this lawsuit that would put them back in the world of medical bankruptcy. Today’s resolution, which I voted in favor of, affirms the House Counsel’s authority to step in where the Trump Administration has failed to defend the law against this existential threat. Congress has a responsibility uphold the law, and to stand up for Americans and their health care – and I am proud to do so today.”

“All Mitch McConnell has to do is bring up that bill – which they already passed – send it to the President, and with the stroke of a pen this would end today. These people who, again, are doing the important work of the American people would not have to be going through the stress and aggravation while they are doing great work to protect our public safety, to represent our country overseas and to make sure that we have leaders of the future through institutions like the Coast Guard Academy.